When COVID disrupted alumnae engagement at Castilleja School - a 118-year-old, girls high school in Northern California with approximately 3,000 alums, it sparked a complete reimagining of what meaningful alumni connection could look like in a digital-first world.
The result was Casti Connect - a tech-enabled, community network built on a powerful idea: engagement should be as valuable to the alum as it is to the institution. Castilleja redefined alumnae engagement through career-driven networking tools, monthly digital digests, and an inclusive shift to a virtual alumnae board model. Along the way, they found that empowering alumnae to drive their own interactions didn’t just lighten the Alum Director’s load - it made the entire community stronger.
This session explores how Castilleja transformed its approach by valuing virtual engagement, creating flexible peer-led spaces, and enabling alum-led initiatives. It’s a practical roadmap for Advancement teams looking to scale impact, deepen relationships, and meet the expectations of a new generation of alumni.